


Replay 2002

by frickleminded



Category: Black Widow - Fandom, Captain America, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe-Modern Setting, Drama, F/M, Father and Son, Friendship, Other, relationship, romanogers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:48:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23665663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frickleminded/pseuds/frickleminded
Summary: The thing about moments is that they are all fleeting. They are all but second, passing by even before you get to hold them. A skip, a beat, a certain blink then after it's over. And they are either too memorable or too regretful. Either you move forward or you move on.To Natasha and Steve, moments are always in cliff hanging.
Relationships: Bruce Banner/Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton & Laura Barton, Clint Barton/Laura Barton, Natasha Romanov & Clint Barton, Natasha Romanov & Thor, Natasha Romanov/Thor, Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanoff, Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanova, Steve Rogers/Thor, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Thor/Clint Barton, Tony Stark & Pepper Potts, Tony Stark & Peter Parker, Tony Stark/Pepper Potts, Tony Stark/Peter Parker, natasha romanov/clint barton
Kudos: 15





	1. When In Doubt, Take A Swig

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first work here in ao3. Hello to everyone, hope you'll get to like this. Thanks in advance. Virtual hug.

One day, we will all going to look back into a particular moment in our life. Maybe it was from our childhood, like that one summer you've spent with your cousin where you finally played in that tree house you made. Or in grade school, the first day of classes, the teacher asked you to sing something and you were so nervous, your hands were shaking, but you did it anyway. Or the prom night, and your heart is beating so fast because you have never dress this nice, and also because you were dancing with someone you like. It could be when you get hired, the moment when the manager shakes your hand and you just can't believe that you finally get a job after being in many rejections. The first time you saw her, standing there in the copy room and you wonder who she is because she's so beautiful. Or when he drop you off that one time after dinner and he finally asked you to marry him and you cried. Those moments where you wanted to freeze time and live on it forever. 

But the thing about moments too; they are all fleeting. They are all but second, passing by even before you get to hold them. A skip, a beat, a certain blink then after it's over.

Moments; either too memorable or too regretful. Either you kiss her or let her go. Either you say yes or no. Either you take it or break it. Either you move forward or you move on. 

And Steve, he lived his whole life in a brink of a certain moment. 

"Hey," it was Natasha, waking him from his thoughts. "What are you thinking?" asked her. 

"It's not of your concern". He replied, a cocky smile on his lips. 

"What's with the attitude?" Natasha hissed on him which made him laugh a bit. "Seriously, what are you really thinking?". Natasha knew him so well. She knows when he is serious, when he is okay, when he's not. And it doesn't need of her asking. 

It took him a beat before answering. But Natasha is patient. She knows that he is just contemplating. 

"I was thinking about..." he said then continues, "about 2002"

"2002?"

"Hmm" he softly said, as if agreeing. 

"The year we graduated?" she asked. She take a sip on the beer she was holding. Steve has a drink of his own too but it was a little harder than Natasha. And also a little untouch compare to hers. 

He take a brief look on her "It's just, I can't believe that it was already 18 years" he said. "I mean, is it that long already?"

She smile. There was an Eyes on you by Ed Patrick that was playing on the background. They are seated in the far corner of the bar where Peter decided to celebrate his birthday tonight. It was his 18th birthday today and as a gift, his father throws him a celebration. He seems to be enjoying it as Natasha can see it from her seat. Peter was laughing with his friends, even throwing his head over something that they were talking about.

"Sometimes I feel like a day was so long, and sometimes it felt like endless. And then you look back, you realized it was actually short" he pauses then continues. "Then you think about the things that happen to you, you assess whether they have been worth it or even just meant something in you. Did you learn something over those years, did you become a better person". He takes a swig from his drink.

Natasha was just listening to him. Lost in his words and ideas and perspective. This is why she like talking to Steve. Because he is not just this random-conversation-person, but he is also talking in to your soul.

Steve looks into her eyes, as if trying to read whether she takes her word or she is being weirded out by him. "I'm being a grandpa again, am I?"

His remark made her laugh a bit. "I knew it" he said, smilling. 

Natasha was still smilling. "No, no, no..." she counters. "They're good."

"It's just that you know, I can't believe it was already eighteen years, and look at Peter, he's all grown up now-" he said then gesture a hand towards the seat where his niece is. 

"-Tony had him young" she said then sip from her beer.

"I know, i know" he agrees. "And you. Look at you-"

"-why?! do I have dirt on my face" she was teasing him. 

"-no, I mean, why are you not taking me seriously?" he goofs. Natasha too.

"I am" she counters, smilling. Steve was giving him this look that makes her feel warm and nice. "You're about to become the person you wanted to be" Steve said seriously. "We just used to talk about it before and now you are so close-"

"-and let's not forget that in two years you will become the most handsome governor in the state of New York" that made Steve smile. "Well, let's not get our hopes up" he said then takes a sip from his bottle.

They were silent for awhile. Taking in the crowd which mostly are Peter's friends. The night shifted into something punky as the song changes to Bruno Mars. 

"What time will Tony come?" Natasha asked. "He's not coming, he said there was this important thing that come up at work" answers Steve.

"More than Peter's birthday" 

"You know my brother" was all Steve could say. Tony was not exactly his brother. He was the son of his step father Howard Stark who his mother remarry after his father died in a car accident. He was ten years old when he met Tony, and Tony was never accepting of him. Tony doesn't like him, maybe because it seems like Howard was very fond of him more than Tony, and Howard has nothing but good words for him unlike Tony.

"How about Bruce, is he coming?" 

Natasha almost spill herself while drink upon remembering, "Oh yeah I forgot,"

Steve grins upon hearing her "You forgot..."

"I forgot, I know" she said, laughing. Natasha stood up from her seat and grabbed her phone on the table. "I'll just make a call" she said then went outside the bar.

His sight was following Natasha until he can't see him anymore. When she came back, Steve was already with Thor and Clint-who still looks a bit jet-lagged. Clint just recently came from India for a competition. He is a professional archerer. 

"Oh, you're both here now" she said after seeing them.

"Steve send us an s.o.s" Thor chimmed. "said he was bored to death here with you".

"Ha, ha, ha" she retort. She puts down her phone above the table.

"What did Bruce said?" asked Steve. 

"I just left him a voice message, he's not picking up. Maybe he was still in the operation or something"

Thor butted in "-or maybe he's with someone else" he said, jokingly. Ofcourse it has to be a joke.

Clint takes a sip from his bottle before saying, "As if Bruce can do it, he is head over heels with this one". He takes another sip from his beer then continues "I can't even believe that you're not married yet, it's about time".

Natasha think it's absurb and nonsense so she swig a drink on her beer. 

"Seriously when are you going to get married?" asked Clint. "Don"t you think it was Bruce that you should be asking that?" Thor counters.

"But what if he does, what if Bruce does, what would you say? would you say yes?" Clint has no plan on dropping the topic yet. Well it is no suprise since Clint, as Natasha would call him, a daft prick. He is also married. With a girl named Laura. They have two kids. 

The three boys are all looking at her, expecting an answer from her. She take a moment to look to Steve, then Clint, then Thor then back to Steve again. She was about to say something when a commotion from the other side of the bar take their moment away. 

It was Peter. And he punches someone straight in the face.


	2. Hesitation, Deflection, Emotions

There were moments in our life that we are being put in a place of rather. Where we are standing between what is and what if. When it's only a yes or no. Where what we can only promise is always or never. Where the only step you can do is be still or move. Sometimes it can be as simple as do you want your burger with pickles or not. Do you want your coffee with whipped cream or none. Other times, it's a little complicated as would you marry him or not. 

That was the hanging question for Natasha tonight. Earlier at Brigade Alley Bar, Clint throws her a question that till now she can't take her mind off. But this is not like it is the first time tha she was like this when the subject of marriage and Bruce came on her radar. It was actually everytime. Like last summer when they attended a wedding of a friend in Boston, the mother of the bride told her that she and Bruce looks perfect together and that it is about time that they should make it official already. Also, when they went over to visit Bruce's family in Wisconsin, all of the family members were grilling Bruce as to when he is going to pop the question on her. Bruce just laugh it off, put a very comforting hand around her and told his family to knocked it off. Her mother likes Bruce. Even her friends from 'Good Day America' likes him. Clint's like him. Thor is, well he's always neutral about everything, he's like a vanilla that's why sometimes she calls him that. Steve seems okay with him. Unlike the other man she dated, with Bruce, Steve hasn't said anything bad so far. He never complains nor fuss about him. Sometimes, he even asked Natasha to invite Bruce at Pangs-their official hangout place every friday night or whenever they like, the four of them; Clint, Thor, Steve and her.

Her phone suddenly lits up, it was from work telling her to check her email. She stood up from the coach she was sitting on and head over to her work desk where her laptop was on. She opens it and there it pops her screensaver. It was her and Bruce back in 2016. It was their first trip together outside the country. She has a four days conference in Berlin and Bruce was sweet enough to clear his schedule and come with her so she is not alone. They decided to extend their stay for a couple of days so they could still have time to check on some places there. On their last day, they went to the Berlin Television Tower, or what the locals would call as the Fernsehturm. And that's where they had the photo. It has been her screensaver since then. She sigh as she takes in the image infront her. 

Bruce look so happy in the picture. She wonder if she really makes him happy. She wonder if he is trully happy with her. She wonder if he feels the way she do. 

Next year they'll be hitting their seventh year. That was the longest relationship she have aside from the boys. And Bruce was so good to her all this years. He is considerate, thoughtful, he is very patient with her, always understand her and he loves her the way no one of all the guys she dated did. He loves her very much and she can see that. 

She clears her throat and proceeds to her email. 

___________________________________________________________________

His phone vibrated from his pocket but he didn't dare to check it. He can't. Both of his hands are pretty tight right now. He was holding Tony, trying to stop him from his anger towards Peter. But eventually Tony shifted his anger to him when the other thinks that he was trying to meddle with their 'father and son' business.

"He is just a kid, Tony" Steve defends. 

"He just turns eighteen, he's not a kid anymore" reckons Tony. 

Tony was the son of his stepfather, Howard Stark from his first marriage. His mother Sarah, met Howard from the support group for widowed that both of them attending. Tony's mother died from cancer while his father died from a car accident. Steve was ten years old when they met, while Tony was fourteen. He had Peter when he was twenty-three years old. From a night of vodka and recklessness.

Peter wasn't supposed to happen, but he did happened. Tony knew of him. He was even there when he was born. But Tony wasn't ready yet for him. He was young back then, he still don't know what he wants in life, he was very immature, so he walk away. That might have insulted Mary Parker, Peter's mother. So she took Peter with her, they move to Minnessota, she raised him on her own, but it was a tough life. 

Then one day, six years ago, Peter was knocking someone else's door. When it opened, there was Tony. And the world suddenly stops spinning. It suddenly becomes stiff and fragile. He knew this eyes, he have once touch this nose. He knew this kid. This is the kid he abandoned thirteen years ago, the most person he owe in this world, the reflection of his youth and what he always think of everyday.

_"Hi" his voice is hoarse, and very nervous. "I'm..uhm, I'm looking for Tony Stark"_

_His heart is beating so fast, "I'm Tony Stark"_

_"I'm Peter" he said. "...Parker"._

But that was six years ago. And those six years are all but akward silence in the car when Tony will drop him off to school, or an uncomfortable dinner or lunch when they do, a conversation that barely lasted for five minutes and Peter being closer to Steve than his own father. 

Steve's voice is starting to get gravely "-you are not even there on your own son's birthday". That cut staight right to Tony. But ofcourse he didn't let it show.

Tony doesn't like Steve. He hate his guts, he hate his wits, he hate the red battery car Steve gave him as a gift in one of their Christmases when they were young. But above all, he hates how his father is with Steve. Howard was so nice to Steve, he really treated Steve as his own. He is always proud of Steve and he always compares Steve to him. His father would always tell him to try and be like Steve who is nice, respectful, never brought any trouble at home, a very smart kid with a bright future unlike him.

"Can you fucking leave now?" Tony hissed then continues in a very low voice but also livid "I appreciate you bringing him here, and he's here now. So you can leave now" 

Steve look him in the eyes for awhile but he never said a thing. No matter how mad he gets with Tony, he always acknowledges the fact that Tony was older than him. So Steve leave after giving Peter a hug and a one last happy birthday. Tony watches them two bitterly.

When he went inside his car, he finally checks his phone. It was a message from a registered number named Boss-it was Natasha. 

**When you come over here, can you bring me a napkin too. I'm out of stock. Tnx Dope 😙**

He smiled upon reading. Despite of the earlier, he did still. He just can't help it.

___________________________________________________________________

When he checks on his watch it says 11:25pm. It's a bit early compare to the time he really expecting himself to be home tonight. But it's okay too because he still feels a bit jet-lagged from his recent flight. He just came from India to attend a competition there for archery. He was no gold but he won silver. 

Clint was six years old when he first held a bow, it was owned by his Father. He was also the one who taught him how to use it; the proper stance, the proper grip, the perfect aiming, timing of releasing. But above all, his father would always say, timing is the major key. _You don't just attack, you wait, timing is very relevant_ , his father would tell him. He was twelve years old when he started joing championship. It started from school, then district, then to state. Now he have gone global, competing with different countries.

And because of that, he is mostly away from home. But when he is, he make sure to catch up with the boys and Laura. But apparently, right now, Laura is about to leave. 

"You're leaving?" Clint asked upon seeing Laura with a luggage in hand. 

"I send you a message when you're in India, told you I have a scheduled flight today" answered Laura. Clint went over to her and help her with the luggage. He opened her car's trunk and she went inside to start the engine. "-didn't you receive my text?"

Clint didn't. But he didn't tell her "I must have forgot" what he said instead. He stand into the driver's side for awhile. "When are you returning?"

Laura didn't get off the car anymore but her door is still open as she talks to Clint. "Next week".

Clint will be leaving again next week for a competition in Prague. As she returns, he'll be going. It seems like that has becoming their routine lately. When he's home, she is there flying. And their bed will be empty again except for him. Their room is silent except for the tv sound or sometimes him breathing alone at dawn. In some mornings, as he was dressing to leave, the door opens and Laura was there, tired but beautiful, and home. And it's her turn now to feel things. 

Clint seems to want to say something but just doesn't know what to say. Laura too seems to feel the same, but she really needs to leave. She's a flight attendant; more than the passengers and the plane, she needs not to be delayed. "I have to go-" she said.

"-oh yeah" he softly agrees. He closes her door for her. But Laura still pull down her window. "Have a safe flight" Clint added.

"Yeah, you too" she said. Laura look him in the eye for awhile, like a minute, like searching a hint of something, then finally headed out. Clint watches her leave but he didn't give her a kiss. He felt that he should, but they don't do that things anymore.

___________________________________________________________________

According to mindbodygreen.com, the best way to end a very long day is by writing down the wonderful things that happen to you during the day and reflecting on it. In Natasha's world of stress and deadline, the only way that she can end a day is by writing her content for tomorrow's Good Day America. She has been on the show for ten years now and it was a long time dream of hers to be part of it. And though it has been that long, sometimes she still couldn't believe that she one of the writer in what is known as the best and most awarded morning show in New York. 

Although to Steve's opinion, he couldn't believe that she hasn't being promoted yet as a host.

"Oh Steve, knocked it off!" she said to him. Everytime a subject of work would be brought up in their talks, Steve would always air out. "I'm just saying it's about f-I cannot say it-time" Steve said. He's a catholic so he didn't know how to curse. And that made Natasha laugh.

Steve walk into her kitchen to get them some spoon. He bought her a Ben and Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup ice-cream, which he hates because it's peanut butter and Natasha likes peanut butter, and himself a Strawberry Cheesecake ice-cream, because he likes anything cheesecake.

"And one more thing, stop making me buy your napkin, it's embarrassing" he said and Natasha laughed with that. She always make him do errands for her which is sometimes unnecessary and always at his expanse, but he do them anyway. No wonder he named her Boss in his cellphone. 

"What is it this time then?" Natasha asked kiddingly. She was referring to the reaction Steve has been getting from the cashier when they see him with a napkin. One of her favorite is when Steve was told by the cashier that if he buy two napkins he'll be getting a free pantyliner. 

"The lady was like bitting her lips, trying to suppress her laughter" he said. "I wanted to tell her, lady just laugh yaknow, life is short" Steve added amusingly.

Natasha was pretty busy with her laptop but she was listening to Steve. "You know I don't get it sometimes, what is wrong with a man buying a napkin or tampons, like it is so forbidden" she said. He put down her ice-cream pint beside her laptop and head toward the sit across her.

"Have you hear the word norm?" Steve said then added "It was like woman buying a condoms, nobody want to see it". Natasha counters it with "-fuck norms!"

That made him laugh, "Well my only point is that everybody knows I don't have a sister"

Natasha comebacks, "-you have a mother"

"She's sixty" answers Steve. He was enjoying his ice-cream despite their conversation.

"Janet Jackson got pregnant by fifty" Natash counters then continues, "Let them think what they want to think" she stop with that then finally look at him "...unless" 

"Unless what?"

"You don't want someone to think that you're buying that for someone else" 

Steve brows knitted with what she said, "I don't want what?" he asked, confusingly. 

"Do you have a girlfriend that you are not telling me?"

His brows gets even closer to one another. "What?"

Natasha set aside her laptop. She finally takes her ice-cream and scoops it. "Why are you being tense?"

"-I'm not tense" he defends. "Yes, you are" teases Natasha. "You know it's okay if you have, I'm happy for you" she added. "I just don't get it as to why do you have to keep it from me" 

Natasha was trying to sound as if she's upset by it, and Steve is actually buying it. _The idiot_. Of course she knows by now there wasn't anyone. If there is, then definitely Steve would have told her rightaway. He always tells her everything. 

"I am not keeping anything" he hissed, "I don't have a girlfriend".

Natasha is loving this scene now. Steve is all this defensive now and high-pitched, and Natasha really likes when he's like this. "Then why don't you have girlfriend?

Steve takes a spoonful of his cheesecake, "Oh here we go again!".

Natasha has been pushing him for the longest time to get himself a girlfriend. He has been single for six years now and although he dates in between, it never goes beyond that. Steve said that he was just busy with his masters degree, the HUD, his advocacies, and the recent election into which he was the campaign manager of his party; he has so much in his plate, he doesn't have time for other things. 

But Natasha is Natasha. In topics like this, she would not drop it too quickly. "I'm just saying that you are so nice, and you're so kind and you're like the best guy ever-" she takes a bite for while then proceeds "I just couldn't get it why there is no one. I'm sure there is a lot out there who wants you"

He was just trying to enjoy his ice-cream, "-I don't want anyone from them"

"Then who do you want?" she asked. The air suddenly became stiff and tensed. She was looking straight to his eyes, expecting an answer from him. 

There were moments in our life that we are being put in a place of rather. Where the only step you can do is say it or say something else because you are an idiot.

Steve broke off their contact, "You didn't answer Clint"

She takes a scoop from her pint, "Trying to change the subject huh!"

The teasing atmosphere is back. "You're putting me on the spotlight, you're not a reporter yet" Steve told her. 

"Consider this as a practice when you became a governor" she retorts. "People would be asking you questions like that"

"Instead of my platforms?"

"I'm sure they are interested more in your lovelife" she counters then added "people go for the juicy stuffs"

"I'm asking a juicy stuff now" Steve said then turns serious. The air shifted again and he is now the one who is looking at her. "Bruce is a nice guy, Nat. So what's stopping you?"

Natasha wanted to say something. As she was looking straight into him now, she wanted to say something. But she just doesn't know what to say and how to say it. This moment is too much and her heart is beating so fast. Her mind is telling her something, so is her heart. 

But a moment is a moment. It doesn't last longer than expected. It passes too quickly before it began. And before she could finally say anything, someone is knocking on her door. 

Steve stood up from his seat "Oh, that's the chinese guy" 

"You ordered food?" she asked. She has no idea he did. 

Steve turns around to her before answering the door, "Of course, I'm like the best guy ever".


End file.
